I remember going to weddings when I was younger, one of the best parts was getting one of those cute little netted bags that was tied with a pretty silky ribbon and contained rice. Throwing rice over the bride and groom as they ran to their waiting “Just Married” car was a much anticipated tradition at weddings. Apparently this tradition dates back to the ancient Romans. Tossing rice at the end of the wedding reception is meant to symbolize rain, which is said to be a sign of prosperity, fertility and good fortune. In more recent years, bird seed has replaced rice because some folks believed that rice was bad for birds, that if consumed the rice would mix with moisture in the birds stomach and expand and cause problems. In fact, you can still find evidence of this myth circulating on the internet today.
The truth is that uncooked rice is just fine for chickens.Read full post
Fermenting animal feed is not really a new thing. Come to find out, farmers have been fermenting feed for a lot of years. It seems like recently though, fermenting feed has been gaining popularity, probably due to the the increased number of urban chicken farmers and hobby farmers. I have had chickens and goats for a long time, and I think I must be one of the last chicken farmers to hop on the feed fermenting wagon. I am not one to do things just because everybody else does them. I probably should have done my fermenting research years ago, but, I guess that life got in the way. My husband would likely tell you that the chickens eat better than he does anyway, so why mess with a good thing. The last few months have been filled with “ahah” moments, and understanding the practice and benefits of fermentation has been one of those. I am just beginning the feed fermentation practice with all my animals, not just chickens, and I don’t have all of the final results in, like who finds it tasty and who doesn’t and how much money I will save, but I would like to share some of the things that I have learned.
First taste of fermented feed.
All grains, seeds and legumes contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. These protect the grains and seeds, and act kind of like preservatives. That is why grains, like wheat, have a long storage life and why seeds stay viable in the dirt through the winter until conditions are good for growing. Phytic acid is referred to as an anti-nutrient because it inhibits the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium. It only inhibits the absorption of these nutrients during the meal that phytic acid is being consumed. If you eat a food containing phytic acid during lunch, than it will inhibit the absorption of specific nutrients only during that meal. It will not affect future meals where foods with phytic acid are not consumed. In some countries where grains and legumes are eaten frequently, cases of malnutrition can occur. People who eat well-balanced meals are generally not affected. But, if our animals eat grains, seeds and legumes at every meal, it leaves me to wonder just how their diets and especially their nutritional needs are being impacted.
Avoiding foods that contain phytic acid is not necessarily the right thing to do as these foods offer a variety of valuable nutrients, and it is thought that phytic acid might actually be beneficial as a protection against kidney stones and some cancers. Fortunately, there are methods of preparation that will reduce the phytic acid in grains, seeds and legumes. Soaking these foods in water overnight will reduce their phytate content. Sprouting grains, seeds and legumes will further degrade it’s content, and fermentation is the third option for reducing phytic acid. Using a combination of all three methods can significantly reduce the phytate content of grains, seeds and legumes. I hope that wasn’t too confusing. In a nut shell, phytic acid does offer nutritional benefits and should be consumed, but if eaten every day at every meal, it can negatively affect the absorption of other important nutrients.
Sprouting lentils for my chickens.
I presently sprout lentils, a legume, for my birds. I know that they love them and I did it initially as an inexpensive way provide my hens with greens during the winter months. I knew that they had added health benefits, but I didn’t exactly understand how. Now that I have a basic understanding of the workings of phytic acid, the benefits of sprouting makes a little more sense.
Fermentation takes the nutritional benefits of sprouting one step further. Fermented feed aids in digestion, strengthens the immune system, improves food conversion, increases the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, forms kind of a natural barrier to pathogens like E. coli and salmonella, and has been known to increase egg weight. In addition, because fermented food is easier to digest and nutrients are absorbed more readily, animals do not have to eat as much and as such, they poop less too!
How does fermenting work? Fermentation is a chemical process by which molecules are broken down without air. The fermentation process begins by taking your grains, seeds and/or legumes and covering them with water. They will expand as they absorb the water, general doubling in size. Lactobacillus, a good bacteria is what actually starts the fermenting by consuming the sugars making lactic acid. The lactic acid creates an environment that is inhospitable to bad bacteria. It’s kind of the same principle that works with sourdough starter, if you have ever worked with that. As long as your grains are submerged in the water, they will be preserved and won’t spoil or mold. The fermentation process can take 24 to 72 hours depending on the temperature of the environment you are fermenting in. You can let your feed ferment longer, but the sour taste will get stronger the longer it ferments. You can tell that the process is working when you see bubbles forming, a sign of gasses being released, and by a slight sour smell, again a process similar to that which takes place with sourdough starter.
My first test in fermenting. After 12 hours the grains expanded, almost doubling in size.
I tested out the fermenting process on a small scale, I didn’t want to ruin a lot of feed if I goofed. I filled a quart jar halfway full of dry feed mix and then filled it full of tap water. I covered it loosely and let it sit. Pretty simple. (You can make your batch as large or as small as will work for you and your animals.) The feed absorbed the water quickly and expanded. Within about 12 hours I noticed bubbles forming. I checked on the mix occasionally throughout the process to make sure the grains remained submerged. The sunflower seeds in my mix rose to the top and floated, so I will probably add them in at the end of the fermentation process in future batches, just to prevent the chance of any spoilage. After 72 hours, my mix had some good bubbles, and a slight sour smell. The first batch I fed to the chickens and they gobbled it right up. It was a small sampling, so they also had their dry mix. With some hens, the fermented feed seemed to be their first choice, while others, they enjoyed their dry mix and then sampled the fermented feed. In any case, it didn’t stay around long. The second batch I tried out on the ducks. They weren’t quite as excited about it, but ended up eating it all. Because it’s kind of soupy, I thought the ducks would love it! I read where some farmers drained most of the water off their fermented feed to obtain a drier texture, but I figure if the grains are good for my animals, then why wouldn’t the water be good as well. It all depends on what my animals like and will eat. You can also add some of the fermented water to future batches of grain to jump start the fermenting process.
Bubbles are a sign of success, along with a slightly sour smell.
I also decided that if eating fermented food was good for people and chickens, why not the rest of the farm animals. So, today I started three different batches of fermenting feed: one for the chickens and ducks, one for the goats and one for the rabbits. (Note: for the rabbits, I am fermenting grains, not processed rabbit food pellets.) I am anxious to see if the health benefits are readily noticeable, and to see if cost savings are evident. With the cost of everything increasing, it would be nice to be able to provide my animals with a healthier diet for less money!
Have you tried fermenting animal feed? What has been your experience?
If you are like me, one of the things you really enjoy doing is spoiling your chickens…with treats! It’s fun to watch the enthusiasm in my chickens when they greet me thinking I have yummy stuff just for them, and it’s fun to watch my roosters as they call all of their lady friends over when they think they have a special snack to share. Treat time appears to be an exciting time for my chickens and I’m sure it is for your birds too! What are some things we should know about treats for our birds?
Keeping a rooster with your flock of hens is something that requires serious consideration before doing so. Many cities, and even some rural towns, do not allow farm animals to be kept in residential neighborhoods. It appears that zoning laws have become more lenient in recent years with regards to keeping backyard hens, but it is important to check the animal zoning laws before acquiring any chickens. Roosters are often not allowed in many urban locations because they are considered a nuisance with all their boisterous crowing. I, for one, love nature and farm life and all the sounds that go with it! But, before you decide that letting a rooster hang out with your girls is a good thing, check your town or city’s animal zoning laws.
Winter is waning and spring is on the horizon. The days are getting longer and eggs are once again beginning to appear in nesting boxes. Such a welcome sight! What are some of the things that we, as chicken farmers, can do to help our hens be the best layers that they can be?
I am a firm believer in variety! I know that a chicken’s sense of taste is nowhere near as refined as a person’s, but it seems apparent, if you watch your chickens eat, that they seem to prefer some foods over others. In my flock for example, fresh raspberries are devoured a lot quicker than tomatoes, and they prefer spaghetti noodles over rice. It is also a fact that different foods contain different vitamins and minerals and in different amounts. I think that as long as your chickens are getting a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, greens and herbs, in addition to their formulated feed, they will enjoy their diet and live long, healthy, productive lives.
One of the things that I like to feed my chickens is sprouts. Sprouts are easy to prepare, inexpensive, nutritious and my chickens enjoy them! They are especially good in the winter months when there is not a lot of grasses or garden produce available.
Trimming a chicken’s beak, toenails or spurs can be intimidating. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if they could tell us when something hurts, but since they can’t, we tend to be a little reluctant to do the trimming for fear we might cause some pain or discomfort. A chicken’s beak, and toe nails, and a rooster’s spurs are all made out of keratin, a fibrous protein structure. That is the same thing that our hair and fingernails are made of and we know that cutting our nails doesn’t hurt, unless we get too close! And just as our hair and nails continue to grow, so does a chicken’s. Hopefully, through most of a chicken’s daily activities, they wear their nails and beak down naturally and don’t require any intervention. A chicken’s scratching in the dirt, looking for bugs and seeds, help to wear down their nails. You might have noticed a chicken wiping their beak on the ground as if to clean some dirt off. This act will file down a beak and keep it in check. A rooster’s spurs on the other hand grow out the side of the leg and are sharp, pointed and often used in disputes with other roosters. They do not touch the ground and so it is harder to keep them filed down. Spurs can grow to be quite long and get to the point where they interfere with walking, or injure a hen when mating. That’s when it’s time to intervene.
Not all animals were created equally. Many species have digestion systems that are unique and fitted for the environment they lived in, in the wild. We have domesticated these animals over the years and changed their eating habits. In an effort to make sure our animals are getting the nutrients they need, it’s a good idea, no matter how uninteresting it may seem, to understand their inner workings. Our goal is to raise healthy, beautiful, productive animals.
Our goal is to raise healthy, beautiful, productive birds.Read full post
Have you ever wondered why roosters crow? Is it just to annoy the neighbors? Are they really nature’s alarm clock? Have you watched a mama hen patiently cluck at her young as she points out bugs, seeds or grain? Have you noticed that low growl you get from a broody hen as you attempt to remove the egg she just laid? All those cackles, chortles, squawks, purrs, growls and crows have meaning. It’s our chicken’s way of communicating with the world around them.
Chatting with me as I take her picture. Maybe she’s telling which side is her best!Read full post
Loss is a fact of life on a farm. A baby goat dies during birth, a dog in her prime contracts leukemia, the Houdini rabbit escapes and gets run over by a car and the matriarch hen succumbs to old age. Death and loss are just facts of life. Death is not a respecter of age or breed or our hard work. You have to figure that if you have animals, eventually you’re going to encounter some form of loss.
The old matriarch who recently succumbed to the ravages of old age.Read full post
